New ratings coming from Texas Education Agency

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - The Texas Education Agency is rolling out a new accountability system for districts and individual schools this year that will change how they are rated.

Education Commissioner Michael Williams will release the new ratings on Thursday using a system intended to better reflect how well schools prepare the state's children for adulthood.

The new system takes into account more than just the STAAR standardized tests. Four indexes contribute to a school's rating, including a student's achievement on the STAAR test, the student's progress, how well the school closes the performance gap for disadvantaged kids and a student's readiness for life after high school.

Williams called the new accountability system more comprehensive than the previous one and will reward schools that more quickly help low-performing students catch up to state standards.

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